Latin America is a vibrant and invigorating place to visit, full of vivid colours, warm people, and rich culture. But whether you’re just vacationing for a few days, passing through as an itinerant backpacker over a longer time period, or setting up shop as a digital nomad indefinitely, you’ll surely want to have access to the internet at all times – preferably via the convenience of your own Canadian phone.
But is such a thing possible? Fortunately for you, the answer is a resounding yes. From data roaming in Rio de Janeiro to carrying a Pocket WiFi in Peru to using a Mexico eSIM in Acapulco to logging on to Wi-Fi hotspots in Honduras, there are several options to keep using your phone in Latin America… but not all of them are created equal. We’ll take a look at each in isolation to give you the information you need to make an educated decision on your phone use while down south.
Roam at your own risk
Perhaps the most convenient way to use your Canadian phone while traveling through the Spanish-speaking parts of the Americas is simply to enable the data roaming setting on your device. Roaming is an agreement between the wireless network to which you subscribe and that in the country in which you’re located, allowing you to send and receive texts, calls, and multimedia messages, as well as surf the web, on your existing number without any hassle.
But while it might be attractive for its ease of use, roaming internationally is not without its risks. That’s because the logistical hurdles and financial overheads involved in this agreement – alongside a generous markup imposed by your service provider – mean that roaming is an extremely expensive method of using your Canadian phone abroad. Indeed, it’s not unheard of for your bill to double, triple, or increase even more when data roaming is enabled.
Introducing the eSIM card
One innovative solution to this conundrum is the humble eSIM. This sophisticated piece of technology substitutes a physical SIM card for a digital equivalent, which can then connect to a wireless provider in the country in question and grant access to a prepaid data plan. For example, a prepaid eSIM for Mexico from Holafly takes advantage of the AT&T Mexico network to give its users easy access to 3G, 4G, and LTE networks.
These prepaid plans are available over a variety of different timespans, from five days all the way up to 90 days, giving users supreme freedom. Best of all, they can be shared across devices and even allow subscribers to use WhatsApp with their Canadian number, retaining all of their existing contacts and chats. It should be noted, however, that eSIMs are only an option for smartphones or other devices compatible with the technology.
Wi-Fi for the win?
Of course, it’s entirely possible to take advantage of public Wi-Fi hotspots in cafés, restaurants, hotels, and other public spaces and connect to the internet in this way. From there, you can use a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service like WhatsApp or Skype to enable calls and video calls with your loved ones, without having to stump up for data roaming charges or an alternative SIM card.
Having said that, relying on Wi-Fi alone is not without major drawbacks. For one thing, you’ll only be able to connect to the internet when in the presence of a network, which is a rarer occurrence than you might like in many parts of the continent. What’s more, public Wi-Fi hotspots are notorious for being hotbeds of cybercrime, since hackers and malicious actors face far fewer obstacles to obtaining your sensitive information and can even set up an “evil twin” network to steal your assets or identity.
Pocket Wi-Fi
Of course, one alternative to logging on to public Wi-Fi services is simply to carry your own around at all times. Pocket Wi-Fi devices are ingenious little contraptions that are light and portable enough to be carried around easily, but which can emit a powerful Wi-Fi signal to devices in their vicinity. They don’t require a power source, can be deployed in areas with no fiber optic access, and are very easy to set up and use.
On the other hand, Pocket Wi-Fi in Latin America can come with a high price tag and an even higher rate of data consumption, burning a hole in your pocket to go along with the device itself. Meanwhile, it shares certain characteristics with its public Wi-Fi counterpart in that it’s prone to falling away or stuttering at times, making it a less reliable option than an eSIM card or data roaming. The battery won’t last forever, either.
So now that you’ve learned about each of the ways you can use your Canadian phone while traveling through Latin America, it’s time to make a decision. Though each option has its own merits and charms, the eSIM is the most technologically advanced, consistently reliable, and relatively affordable for those who want to get online and stay connected without breaking the bank or jeopardizing their cyber security.
